The Helios

The Helios is the lightest long range rifle you can buy.

A light gun makes compromises. A long range rifle has to perform. Our goal with the helios was a 5 pound gun that was still capable of shooting 1000 yards. The floor plate is gone, replaced with a simple trigger guard, the recoil pad is thin and light, and this is the only Gunwerks rifle that doesn’t feature our full bedding chassis. The only other way to make a stock lighter is to make it smaller and this one walks the fine line between small and shootable. The barrel is our lightest 1G fluted contour with a muzzle diameter of 0.600 inch. Finally, we’ve skeletonized our Titanium action to remove any last ounces.

You can find lighter rifles, but nothing that shoots like the Helios.

The System

Gunwerks shooting systems are renowned for long range shooting performance out of the box. The secret is in complete systems with matched components. Rifle, Scope, Ammunition, Ballistics: the components need to be compatible and the system more than the sum of the parts. With the Helios, configuring the right scope and picking the right caliber will complete a system that is ultralight and capable of consistent long range performance.

The Design

Lightweight is a heavy problem. With the Helios, we set out to take away everything we could without sacrificing accuracy or shootability. When you use a small barrel contour, you worry about first shot and repeat shot point of impact shift. With a light gun, torque, muzzle lift, and recoil become major factors. Our helios stock design uses all of our tricks to get you on target, and features a new style of grip to minimize shooter influence during the shot.

The Hunt

Sheep hunters have always been weight conscious, and they have inspired a new generation of mobile, extreme backcountry hunters that test the limits of physical endurance in isolated and rugged terrain. This hunt demands high performance gear that uses cutting edge materials and design. When your hunt is so extreme that every ounce matters, and your anticipated shots will be under 800 yards, the Helios is the only option.

Ballistic Turret.

Our ballistic turrets use unique technology that creates large, easy to read numbers, and divisional marks that indicate yards, rather than clicks. The bottom row is the MOA or Mrad scale and the optional top row idicates additional distance correction for ultra long range.

GLR Action.

In addition to all of the unique design features that the GLR offers, we offer it in titanium. Its an amazing material. Strength is comparable, but it weighs nearly half! The difficulty is in manufacturing. Tool wear is extreme, so manufacturing and material costs are higher than Stainless Steel.

Muzzle Brake.

With this small barrel diameter, creating an effective muzzle brake that still looks good is a challenge. We offer a radial brake with two chambers and symmetrical slots, it takes the edge off the big calibers, and the trim lines match the minimalist design of the Helios.

Helios Stock.

There are three major design considerations that influence the behavior of a rifle stock under recoil. Forend width, Comb Line, and Toe Line. To build the ultimate minimalist stock and maintain long range shooting performance, we fixed those three dimensions - and took everything else away!

Trigger.

The nature of a light rifle really requires an expert shooter to get consistent results in different shooting conditions and positions. With the Helios, the new Gunwerks frictionless trigger with external adjustment helps the shooter break his shot consistently.

Efficient Cartridges.

With ultra light rifles, its important to select the minimum cartridge required for your application. Bullet BC plays a significant role in reducing the size of cartridge required to harvest game cleanly at long range.

CNC MFG.

With the Helios rifle, minimizing weight is the key engineering directive. We add extra machining to nearly every part process to remove extra material. The Helios is our only rifle system that uses pillar bedding to save a few ounces over our traditional bedding block.

Image Gallery

Video Gallery

GUNWERKS LR 1000 STOCK | BEHIND THE DESIGN

The Gunwerks Stock design is a key part of the system that reduces and combats recoil. The design also accomodates a smooth, linear, repeatable track shot after shot.

GUNWERKS GLR ACTION | BEHIND THE DESIGN

Discover the intricate details that seperate the GLR action from any other remington style action on the market.

Two Bulls - Two Shots - Two Hours | New Zealand Tahr

Join Mike and Aaron on a journey to the land of the long white cloud and see Gunwerks in action.